Mid-Arc

by David Gosnell

  I notice Marthe standing next to me. The potatoes aren’t washed. I better get busy.

  Chapter 35

  I make sure to be at the drive early. Znuul and Karen are there. Karen sits on the bumper of the limousine, Znuul stands with arms folded on his chest. I gesture to Znuul to come over. He gives me an exasperated look and he plods over to me. I make another gesture for him to bend down. He does.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure she’s okay,” I whisper.

  He stands up straight and lets out a huge bellowing laugh.

  “Karen, you’re going to be okay now – Arthur’s going to look over you!”

  Znuul is giggling at me now. Karen shakes her head and mouths, “sorry” at me.

  Znuul’s hand is shaking my shoulder, gently for him - like an earthquake for me.

  “You would do well to grab hold of whatever robe she wears and follow behind her,” he says.

  Great. I just offended the leader of my team.

  Grey, Shey, Vets, and Pffif approach with Hjuul trailing behind.

  Znuul bellows out, “Old man! Arthur thinks he’s going to protect the Red Witch!”

  Znuul looks down at me with his patented shit-eating grin.

  “Isn’t that so sweet,” Znuul says, piling it on more.

  Grey approaches me with a smile and an outreached arm.

  “That is an admirable sentiment, Arthur. Don’t let Ahtsag’s ridicule stop you from thinking that way. I would very much appreciate you protecting her.” His voice steps up a notch. “Of course I would like her to make sure she protects you too.”

  “All good leaders look out for their teams,” Karen says getting up from the bumper.

  Grey walks over to her, hugs her, and whispers something to her that I presume is something along the lines of, “come back alive, please.”

  Last joining us is Sil, no luggage, thank goodness; just a scrap of paper. At least she addressed the list. She hands it to me and takes my arm, making me a little uncomfortable, as her touch carries that warm tingly little vibration with it.

  “Okay,” says Karen, “Only so much room in the limo.”

  Translation: time to send some folks to the white.

  ”Send me to the holding. I will meditate in preparation,” Vets says.

  Off she goes.

  I look at Hjuul who folds his ears back and makes a whining sound.

  “Sorry guy,” I tell him with a scratch on his head and a look to the eye. “Back as soon as we can, hey how about you just stay here until we arrive?”

  Shey immediately reaches up to hair and in a shimmering silvery downfall makes herself tiny.

  Pffif looks at Karen and says, “I don take up no space either.”

  “Okay, let’s go,” Sil says, leading me by the arm. Karen’s look at me is plain enough – send the skanky bitch away.

  I extract myself from Sil’s warm, inviting touch to walk over to Karen.

  “If that is an order from my team leader to dismiss her, I won’t hesitate. But if it’s just a personal issue, I hope we can work through it, God knows I had to.”

  “Fine,” she says. “All in, we go now.”

  With that, we get in and leave.

  Three hours of drive feels like three days. To one side of me is Shey. The other Sil. That’s enough tension. Pffif sits next to Karen, and I keep thinking he is going to put his hand on her leg and say something like, “fetch me a drink ye fair wench.”

  Luckily no such drama occurs. Shey doesn't call Sil demon scum once, and Sil doesn’t touch herself. Pffif sticks to his flask, lightly, and doesn't try to light his pipe. We get to Air Lightbringer with minimal drama.

  I try to sleep through as much of the flight as possible. I hear that helps with the lag. The mission brief is very complete: full diagrams of the compound, estimates of numbers and types of combatants. We are walking into a shit storm with multiple choke points. Major firepower will be required, with a heaping helping of good luck.

  We arrive and pile into a large Humvee that takes us whizzing away to a safe house. Or more like a warehouse. We enter, and I am greeted by, “Arthur, the many! You tapped that succubus yet?”

  It’s Greg, the sword of balance, sitting on the hood of a large armored vehicle.

  Before I can get a word out, Sil responds for us.

  “Hell no!" She swaggers over to Greg “But you make sure he gets out alive, and I’ll give you a night you’ll never forget – ever.”

  That brings the usual male, “Hell Yeah!” and such from what appear to be the mercenaries around us.

  Sil’s offer takes Greg aback a little; he knows her for what she is.

  “You mean safe, no eating on me - I’ll never forget such a good thing, right? …Succubus.”

  That brings a little hush from the mercenary types.

  “Keep my Arthur safe, and you get whatever you want.”

  More raucous comments follow.

  I feel like a total weenie now. First thing out, a girl is saying I can’t handle my own business.

  Crap.

  So I do what needs to be done to recover some of my mojo and go full-on testosterone.

  “Sil, shut it! We are kicking ass and leaving bodies behind. You want to roll with her, Greg? No problem, I’ll tell her to love you a long time.”

  Daggers sprout from Sil’s eyes.

  “You’ll tell me?”

  “Why not, since you see fit to offer yourself to someone without as much as asking your wielder.”

  She backs down and quick, thank goodness.

  “Woo,” is the general consent from Greg and mercenaries.

  I just stride up to Greg and say, “Gimme some love, you fast bastard.”

  He jumps down and gives me a man-hug.

  I feel a bit like less of a weenie now.

  Shortly after, the doors to the warehouse slide open, and we are joined by Gunter, one other person I would assume is of the Order of Light as well, along with Christophe LeBlanc who has been an exceptional teacher to me in the healing arts.

  Gunter looks around the room and bellows, “Who is ready to smite some evil!?”

  Cheers come from all around.

  So much better than my introduction…

  Gunter strides over to me and takes me by the shoulder to the foldout tables in the middle of the room.

  “Come, Arthur we have something for you,” he says, in that Germanic voice of his.

  Having no choice but to follow, so I do. We get to the table, and he pulls one of the boxes off his shoulder and sets it on the table. He unlatches the fasteners on it and flips the lip open. Before me lays a blessed sword of the Order of Light.

  “Take it in hand and call forth the divine!” he says.

  I take it up and feel its hum coursing through me.

  “Call to it, Arthur. Bring forth the light!” He says clutching my shoulder harder.

  I remember my training and connect with its hum, it is powerful and reassuring, but it does not call to me; I must call to it. I do and step back into a defensive stance.

  Gunter cheers. I hear cheers from those around me. I realize that the blade in my hand is glowing.

  “Down with your blade now, brother,” says, Gunter. “I knew you were of the light, even with demon spawn in your keep.”

  I relax, and the glow leaves the blade. I look at this blade, its hum still vibrating through my whole body, and set it back in the box.

  A gift too precious.

  “I am not worthy my friend.”

  He laughs, then turns serious.

  “The sword says you are. Besides, each blade from a fallen warrior must be passed down to a new champion. This was Herrmann’s blade. You did not think Hellfire could touch such an instrument?”

  I am in shock.

  Gunter takes my face in his large hands.

  “The sword has chosen you, and it is a most fitting tool for vengeance, is it not?”

  He gently slaps my cheeks.

  “Yes, sir …
No question.”

  He releases my face, smiles and gives me a hard pat on the back.

  “Normally I would welcome you to the order, but you keep foul company, so instead I tell you I look forward to battle by your side.”

  He turns to the assembled crowd around us and shouts, “Evil will cower before us!”

  A roar responds from the room.

  Man, that guy knows how to work a crowd.

  Chapter 36

  The briefing of our plan is simple and to the point. Over the course of the next two days, we will deploy vehicles pretending to keep an on eye the enemy’s compound. But in reality, those vehicles will be quietly picking up decoy persons. After we have enough to mimic our true force, we will stage a false exit of the country by sending the decoys away.

  Once our exit has been reported, Pffif and Shey will make sure any of their spies are silenced quietly, so as not to announce the presence of the true attack force, still in place.

  With their attention elsewhere and no way to be warned, we’ll drop the hammer on them. Disinformation, military sleight of hand – Karen knows what she’s doing. I am impressed.

  Two days is a long time to live in a warehouse with very little running water. Except for Vets physically abusing one of the mercenaries, who for whatever reason decided he couldn’t keep his hands off her, the time is mostly uneventful. If nothing else, the mercenaries think to take her very seriously after that incident.

  I am just glad she didn’t kill him. Things can happen fast with Vets; scary fast.

  After what seems an eternity, the day comes, and two military transport vehicles arrive. The decoys plus my summonlings pile into separate Humvees. Hjuul is changed into a human form, and I can tell he is not comfortable with it.

  For the first time, I get to hear him speak to me: “Not leave you.”

  That is worth a hug and reassurance to him that he will be back as soon as possible.

  I knew he was smart.

  Shey provides aerial reconnaissance to let us know if there are any cars or activity that follow the feigned exit. After the vehicles leave, she comes back letting us know that, yes, we are being watched and some cars are following our bait. One van stays to keep an eye on the compound.

  Shey and Pffif are dispatched to make sure whatever report they send in will be their last.

  After Pffif and Shey return, the real team makes its exit, and we converge on the compound in our appointed positions.

  “Karen, how about we arm Pffif with explosives to set around the place? He can become invisible and is super sneaky,” I ask.

  “Would save some wear and tear on me,” Greg says.

  “Right. Give the charges to Mr. Pffiferil,” Karen says.

  A mercenary brings four devices. Pffiferil takes off with them. I hope there is nothing with true sight in there, or at least that he is sneaky enough to get by them.

  Almost half an hour passes, and he returns.

  “Yer special deliveries been a made, ana where ye asked em’ to be.”

  “Thank you Mr. Pffiferil,” Karen says followed by pulling out a large box with several switches. She flips two switches, and we hear the eruptions.

  That’s the signal for the first team. I know they are entering the compound now; that’s Greg and the mercenaries. We are to wait. I hear the gunfire and know the battle is on. After what seems like forever, but is probably only a couple minutes, she flips two more switches; booms follow, and she says those fateful words, “We’re up.”

  I call together the my crew. I take a moment to let Karen ward them, and open the trunk of the vehicle for weapons. We wade into battle. I realize immediately what Znuul meant. Karen, with her wands/foci in either hand, is standing in the middle of the yard casting a storm of fire and lightning before her. The paladins are wading in, armor and swords aglow in the dim light cutting down all in front of them of dark origin.

  We take the flank as we are supposed to. Vets wades in with Hjuul on her heels. We are met by at least twelve adversaries of inhuman origin. Vets' sword lashes out like a buzzing chainsaw. Hjuul, back to normal, bites, claws, and pounces. But the numbers are too much.

  So I reach into my will and project out healing care to Vets, followed by the same for Hjuul. They rebound, and the tide turns as Hjuul and Vets become as strong as when they first engaged.

  Silver arrows poke out from many adversaries. Shey’s bow is thrumming from behind the metal drum she’s using for cover.

  My attention on them, I am knocked to the ground. A frog-like creature bellows, “The master will be pleased!” and makes a face like he’s going to vomit.

  I don’t want to be barfed on, so I roll frantically out of the way.

  It coughs up a ball of acid that eats its way through the concrete where I was laying. I stumble to my feet and look to face my foe. A pair of hands grabs it by the mouth from behind, jarring it open and most likely dislocating its jaws. Black fingernails rake across its neck splitting it open, releasing gouts of blackish ichor like blood; Sil.

  A silver arrow blows through its head, and it falls to dissolve into ectoplasmic nothingness. I know Maldgorath felt that summonling return.

  I look over my crew, my focus on following them, keeping them healed and standing in the face of our foes. It feels like we have met the most of the enemy. Those that are left are falling back and running. We are not. I see major fireworks coming from inside the main compound that we blew with the first salvo of explosives. I direct the group that way to provide support.

  We get inside to find Karen and Greg standing amidst piles of steaming ectoplasm, headless bodies and one being, half-charred, begging for mercy and promising information. Just like that his head rolls and Greg is standing over him.

  I was going to protect them… right.

  Karen looks over at me with eyes of a woman possessed.

  “Assist the others!”

  I listen for the sound of conflict and head my group in that direction. I signal to Vets to take point, and she busts through the door out to the courtyard, Hjuul is hot on her heels followed by the rest of us. There is a fire-fight taking place, and I note Christophe attempting to heal a very injured mercenary.

  Using my sidearm, I lay down suppressive fire in the direction of our enemies who are using a truck as cover and make for protection of our own.

  Vets, apparently thinking I can heal anything, sheathes her sword, charges toward the truck, now brandishing a shotgun. She takes major flack, but between her armor and my healing, she chugs ahead like a freight train. Making it behind the truck and running out of shells, I see her swing the shotgun at one of our adversaries as a makeshift club.

  More shots ring out, and I am struggling to keep Vets in line of sight for healing.

  A voice yells, “Kill the healer!”

  A wallop to my chest knocks me to the ground.

  Thank god for Kevlar.

  But Vets’ distraction is more than enough to allow the Paladins to overwhelm them from the opposite flank. Things become very quiet behind the truck.

  I sit up to see a concerned Pffif, Shey, and Sil hovering over me. Shey is running her hands over me to make sure I’m okay. Sil’s attention is between me and our surroundings; her eyes searching like a predator for enemies or signs of danger. I stand and see one of the mercenaries helping a very wounded Vets away from the truck. Without hesitation, I send healing her way as strongly as I can, and she rebounds almost instantly.

  The mercenary takes notice of Vets miraculous recovery and excitedly yells, “Follow me!”

  I follow him to where Christophe is trying to heal the seriously wounded man.

  The mercenary says, “Do that thing to him you just did to the were-cat.”

  I try, but it just doesn’t work the same way on people as it does on my summonlings. Christophe stands and puts a hand on my arm.

  “It’s too much,” he says, “he’s gone.”

  Christophe gives an apologetic look to the standing mercen
ary.

  “Damn,” says the mercenary.

  The yard is quiet now. I think that means we won.

  I look down at the dead mercenary and don’t feel like a winner at all.

  Chapter 37

  It was an almost complete rout. We did suffer three casualties; three of the mercenaries. Christophe says words and pronounces blessings over their bodies. All join in.

  I am brought back to air Lightbringer and sent back to the Chateau on my own. Well, with my team anyways. Hjuul gets to ride this time because I say so.

  I try to absorb what has just happened because I know Grey is going to ask me what I learned. I learned that Karen is a devastating force in and of herself. I learned I could wield a Paladin’s sword. I learned that keeping my team standing in the face of insurmountable odds takes a hardy effort of focus and will.

  Oh yeah, I learned not to let frog-faced demon things barf on you either.

  We are quiet all the way back. There is a general feeling of defeat that pervades the air, even though we won. It isn’t a celebration by any stretch.

  Vets addresses it, coming over to sit down in front of me, declaring, “It is hard to celebrate victory when you know many of your foes can just be raised again.”

  There is no reaction from the jet’s chamber. I think we all understand the truth of her statement.

  “But you kept us standing, and they fell,” she says. “And if we do fall, we can rise again too - if you call us. We all fought well. We always do because of you, Arthur MacInerny, and for you too.”

  That gets a, “Here, here!” from Pffif. Vets leaves me to my contemplation and an attempt at sleep.

  After landing, the limo ride back is solemn too. Until Pffif starts handing around that never-ending flask of his. Vets, Sil, and Shey tear in. And eventually, on Pffif’s instance, I do too -- despite my former tendencies to excess. It doesn't bring me any happiness; just a numbness. But that’s okay; I’ll take numb for now.

  I note that Pffif’s magic flask seems to help Shey and Sil coexist a bit. I think it is the first time I ever see them hug and girl banter. If Vets is affected at all I sure can’t tell; she’s just stoic. Pffif is having a great time though, singing bawdy songs and encouraging everyone to join in.